Born: March 4, 1944 - Budapest, Hungary

The Hungarian soprano, Magda Kalmár, studied at the Béla Bartók College of Music in Budapest, initially piano playing, then singing. She announced herself as chorister at the Budapest National Opera, however immediately she became a soloist of the ensemble. Since 1969 she was regular member of the house, at which she went through a very successful career. In 1972 she received the First Prize at the UNESCO Competition in Bratislava.

Magda Kalmár appeared as a guest at the Staatsoper of Berlin, at the Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre, at the National Operas of Sofia and Prague, in Graz and Lausanne. She was particularly brilliant in roles from the coloratura range, such as Blondchen in Entführung aus dem Serail, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Despina in Così fan tutte, Pagen Oscar in Verdi’s Ballo in mashera and Adele in Fledermaus. In 1985 she sang in Budapest in the premiere of the opera Csongor und Tünde by Attila Bozay, in 1987 in Ecce homo by Sandór Szokolay.

Magda Kalmár had a great career also as concert and oratorio singer. She was particularly esteemed as Brook and Händel interpreter.

Recordings: Hungaroton Königin von Saba by Goldmark, Medea by Cherubini, Mosè in Egitto by Rossini, Ecce homo by Szokolay, Belfagor by O. Respighi, Ester by Dittersdorf, Stabat Mater by Pergolesi, L'Infedeltà delusa and Der Apotheker by J. Haydn, Don Pasquale, Gianni Schicchi by Puccini, Hunyadi László by F. Erkel; a recording of Händel’s cantatas appeared already in 1975

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2004)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2004); Willem van Erk (December 2006 - Photo)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

György Lehel

Soprano

BWV 245

Frigyes Sándor

Soprano

BWV 244,

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